It’s the little things that deliver big smiles
Having a baby is an exciting time in your life – and at the BirthPlace in our Niles and St. Joseph hospitals, we want to make it a healthy time. Our family of obstetric and pediatric physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, midwives, and lactation consultant strive to continuously provide our moms, babies, and families a safe, nationally-recognized, and high-quality experience.
Some of the little things that make the BirthPlace a special space for you a baby:
- Access to pediatric specialists 24/7
- Experienced and loving health care professionals
- Intimate family-centered birthing suites
- Newly renovated rooms
- Online nursery for friends and family who can’t be present
- Daily serenity hours
- Continued support throughout your delivery until you depart home
- Ongoing new parent education
Your baby's safety is at the heart of what we do.
Spectrum Health Lakeland Niles Hospital proudly earned a platinum designation for maternal care from the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM). Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph also earned gold level designation, the second highest ranking.
MI AIM works with birthing hospitals to reduce and eliminate preventable maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Hospitals implement structured “safety bundle” plans to improve health outcomes for mothers to combat the leading causes of maternal mortality such as obstetric hemorrhage and severe hypertension. Safety bundle plans help hospitals by defining actionable protocols, education, equipment, and drills to prevent and treat serious maternal events. Learn more.
The Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM), a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions, has awarded Lakeland Hospitals with the 2022 Maternity Care Excellence Award for demonstrated excellence in maternity care and delivery outcome. The Niles Hospital received this award a third year in a row.
The awards are part of EAM’s Maternity Care Project. Created in 2018, the project goals are to decrease the state’s infant mortality rate, reduce the rate of unnecessary C-sections, and be an educational resource for new and expecting parents residing in Michigan.
Mar 12, 2019 Reporting from Niles, MI
A Wedding Day Delivery - Matt and Kristin Ross
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/womens-health-services/pregnancy-care/birthplace/Detail/a-wedding-day-delivery/?utm_source=A_Wedding_Day_Delivery&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Mar 12, 2019
Mar 12, 2019
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
When Kristin Ross’ sister got engaged and began to plan her wedding, she didn’t realize it wouldn’t be the only momentous event the family would celebrate that day. At 38 weeks pregnant, Kristin continuously joked about the possibility of her giving
A Wedding Day Delivery - Matt and Kristin Ross
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/ResourcePackages/SpectrumHealth/assets/img/sh_white_logo.png
A Wedding Day Delivery - Matt and Kristin Ross
Mar, 2019
When Kristin Ross’ sister got engaged and began to plan her wedding, she didn’t realize it wouldn’t be the only momentous event the family would celebrate that day. At 38 weeks pregnant, Kristin continuously joked about the possibility of her giving birth at the wedding. Her sister said that as long as it was after the vows it would be okay. Kristin laughingly shared, “my sister didn’t know she would later regret her words.”
As first time parents, Kristin and Matt Ross weren’t sure what to expect throughout the pregnancy. During each prenatal ultrasound, their baby appeared in the breech position, meaning feet-first position. Babies are usually in a head-first position. The care team cautioned that a cesarean section would likely be needed. Kristin and Matt scheduled the procedure for a week after Kristin’s sister’s wedding.
The wedding day arrived, the ceremony was beautiful, and Kristin was happy to be by her sister’s side. After the maid of honor speech, the bride and father headed out to the dance floor. As Kristin sat next to the groom, in front of 200 guests, watching the father-daughter dance, something unusual happened.
“There was no doubt in my mind, I knew my water had broke,” Kristen shared. “I just sat there in shock for a minute.”
Kristin leaned over to another bridesmaid and told her to go get her mother-in-law and husband. With Kristin in tow, the small group headed for the door and into her mother-in-law’s waiting car. The soon-to-be new mother recalls the moments when they first arrived at the BirthPlace at Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph.
“I felt like we were in a whirlwind when we got there. I was in my bridesmaid dress, Matt was in his suit, and then later, the whole wedding party arrived, including my sister in her wedding gown,” she said.
“When we got to Lakeland, everything was a blur, but I do remember how organized and ready the staff were when we arrived and how they helped to calmly talk us through every step,” said Matt. “I was able to be in the operating room for Kristin’s c-section and the staff in the room joked with us about how Kristin had the best hair and make-up of anyone they’d seen give birth.”
Kristin continued, “I remember laying there thinking ‘this is really happening, we are going to have a baby in a couple minutes.’ Hailey Sullivan, the nurse who helped me through labor, was so patient, encouraging, and kind throughout the entire experience.”
Benjamin Finley Ross was born at 11:37 p.m. on August 3, 2018.
“I heard Benjamin’s first cry and couldn’t stop smiling – I looked at Matt and thought, ‘this is surreal, it was just the two of us and now we’re parents,’” Kristin recalled.
“The first time I saw Benjamin it was a rush of emotions, I instantly thought ‘this is awesome, amazing, and nerve wracking all at the same time,’” Kristin remembered. “The cesarean section was not as scary as I thought it would be. The care team talked me through everything that was happening and regardless of how I gave birth, we still got Benjamin.”
“During recovery, each person who came into our room to check on us was smiling, asking what they could do, or if we needed anything to make us more comfortable,” said Matt.
As breastfeeding was difficult at first, the Rosses valued the education, care, and patience their nurse, Tommi Peterson, provided.
Matt and Kristin shared their advice for new parents: “Trust your care team, they’ve done this a lot, they know what they’re doing, and they aren’t going to pressure you to do something you don’t want to do. We would suggest all new parents take the Preparing for Childbirth class at Lakeland. The instructor, Tori, makes you feel so comfortable and relaxed while you learn, she really made it a fun experience.”
“Parenthood is nothing like I thought it would be. I thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t. And I wouldn’t change it for the world,” said Kristin.
Watch more of the Ross's story here: